Do I have to switch to full fibre?

BeeHappy55

I am currently out of contract with my current broadband provider (NOW), and they have told me that I have to switch to a full fibre provider because my copper line is being turned off at the end of August. (I have had no notification from them about the copper switch off and was only told about it when I called them, so not sure if it is 100% true).

I live in a building with 6 flats, and I rent from a private landlord (there is likely to be some significant push back from my landlord about allowing a full fibre installation).

I have checked on the BT site and have obtained the attached info - please can someone explain it to me in very basic terms.

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Stubod

..nobody is "turning off" copper lines. There must be 10's of thousands of houses that will be unablt to change over to fibre anytime soon.

I was recently told that if I wanted to maintain my landline I would need to switch to fibre. The Open Reach chap that turned up to do it said that I might need to dig up my porch and the drive to get the fibre instlled(??). When I told him my provider had said they would not longer be supporter "copper", he said that this was BS, and that providers where just trying to scare people into changing over, and that copper would be in place for years. (I put this to my broadband provider who seemed surprised that he had said this..(??).

It may just be that you can't access you landlinne number if you stay on copper??

If you think about it, how many properties are still on copper, and will be unable to get fibre installed becasue cables are buried in the ground??…how many engineers / contractors would be needed to change them all over in the next few months, assuming they can only do 2 or 3 properties a day???

QrizB

I am currently out of contract with my current broadband provider (NOW), and they have told me that I have to switch to a full fibre provider because my copper line is being turned off at the end of August.

What service do you currently have from NOW - is it ADSL (copper all the way from the exchange) or FTTC (part fibre)?

BeeHappy55

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987560#Comment_81987560

(Apologies in advance if I have responded incorrectly, I am new to the forum).

I have no idea what service I am currently getting - how would I find this out?

QrizB

I have no idea what service I am currently getting - how would I find this out?

If your current service gives you a speed of 20Mbit/sec or more, you're on FTTC not ADSL. If it's slower than that it's probably ADSL (but if you live out in the sticks, FTTC can also be that slow).

If it's described as "part fibre" or "fibre" without being "full fibre" it's FTTC not ADSL. If fibre isn't mentioned at all, it's probably ADSL.

If you can't tell, tell us what you do know about your service and we might be able to help you work it out.

BeeHappy55

My speed is 37Mbit/sec and the bill states Fab Fibre, so I guess I am on FTTC.

QrizB

Part-fibre isn't going away. However, the way telephony is delivered is changing. This might be why NOW have contacted you. (This is only a guess and I might be way off the mark!)

Do you currently have a phone that plugs into a DSL micro filter, and then into your BT master socket? Or does your phone plug straight into your router?

BeeHappy55

I don't use the landline (only became aware that I actually had one recently). I am aware of the need for landlines to be switched over to digital, but if I don't use a landline it doesn't affect me.

NOW didn't contact me though. I contacted them to renew my broadband contract, which is when they stated that the copper line was being turned off and that I needed to switch provider and to full fibre.

If I put my postcode into any broadband checker it only gives me options for full fibre - although my understanding of the BT info is that I am not in a "stop sell" location for another service using the copper line, right?

littleboo

Customers are being "nudged" towards FTTP when its available. Sooner or later, you will need to migrate anyway and they want to avoid large numbers of customers needing to be migrated all at once.

"…I needed to switch provider and to full fibre."

Now is part of Sky and Sky have an arrangement with Cityfibre, so if Cityfibre is also available at your address, they may be looking to move you from an Openreach service to a CF one and hence the mention of changing provider

iniltous

if you want a new contract (so a better deal than being out of contract and paying out of contract pricing ) most ISP require you to take FTTP if FTTP is available, it’s a condition of taking the new ‘deal’ , you can remain as you are on an out of contract basis if you don’t want or can’t have FTTP because you can’t give permission as you rent rather than own the property.

PSTN telephony retirement is different to taking FTTP , where your phone currently connected , is it plugged into the router or the socket on the wall , if it’s already the router , you are not on PSTN anyway so are unaffected, if the wall socket they may change you to IP telephony via the TT router , if your router doesn’t have a phone socket they would need to send you a compatible router , or they may keep you as they are , or they may ask if you want telephony removing , that is upto them , and nothing to do with you trying to recontract…..basically if you hadn’t called them , you would just continue as your are , it’s you asking for a ‘deal’ driving this change ….just stay are you are that’s better for you , accepting it will cost a little more.

BeeHappy55

So, the copper switch off applies to the landline only? and won't affect my broadband? (I think that when I called NOW about my contract they assumed that I was using my landline, and that maybe is why they suggested the change in provider).